BERLIN (Reuters) - Tough tales of suicide, ill-fated love, mental illness and sexual violence mark Germany's strongest presence at the Berlin Film Festival competition in four years, fanning hopes for home-grown box office hits abroad.
"Elementarteilchen" (Elementary Particles), "Der Freie Wille" (The Free Will), "Requiem" and "Sehnsucht" (Longing) are among 19 films vying for the prestigious Golden Bear.
Despite mixed reviews, the contenders have fired up film makers' hopes that cinema-goers around the world might go to see German works.
"The climate for German films abroad has improved dramatically over the past few years," said Alfred Holighaus, head of the festival's expanding special German section.
"German films have found stories which are of interest around the world -- stories from here, from our reality, and not just copies of films that have been done already elsewhere."
The biggest hope lies with Elementary Particles, the screen adaptation of Michel Houellebecq's 1998 book that shocked many.
The story of mentally unstable sex-addict Bruno and his shy scientific-genius brother Michael, features racism, masturbation and suicide, yet has been snapped up by distributors from 23 countries in the first few days of the festival.
"There has been a tremendous, heartfelt, emotional response and we've had multiple bidders in every country, closing most major territories in 24 hours," said Hengameh Panahi, President of Celluloid Dreams, which is selling the film.
Elementary Particles is not the only bleak German tale getting a response.
The Free Will, the story of a rapist and psychologically unstable young woman finding love, is nearly three hours long and opens with a violent rape scene.
But after its world-premiere on Monday it was praised by critics, and the film's producers said they had seen interest from across Europe, especially Scandinavia.
REPEAT OF "LENIN" SUCCESS?
Many hope German films could see a repeat of the success of home-grown 2003 box office hit "Good Bye Lenin".
The sentimental take on Germany's former east and its integration after the fall of the Berlin Wall saw viewers around the globe flocking to theatres and set new box office records for a German film abroad.
Then 2004's "Der Untergang" (Downfall), a film depicting Hitler's last days, topped charts once more before international interest in German films dwindled again in 2005.
Besides original story ideas, it is diversity that could ensure a successful year for German film, Holighaus said.
"The Berlin Film Festival is definitely representative for what is going on in German film, in the quality as well as in the quantity," he said.
Another promising German director is Valeska Griesebach, with her first feature-length cinema film Longing.
Made in a documentary style in the region surrounding Berlin, the film tells the story of a young couple whose life disintegrates after the husband has an affair.
For her Shakespeare-inspired tale of tragic love, lust and betrayal, Griesebach decided to cast first-time actors in the lead roles who originated from where the action was shot.
The final German film in the festival competition this year is Requiem, about young student Michaela who leaves her strict Catholic home in the 1970s to go to university.
After initially enjoying her freedom, the young woman starts to hear religious voices haunting her, but her psychological illness is dismissed by her family with grave consequences.
The award winners will be announced on Saturday.
By Karin Strohecker
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